Above,
the same woodworking techniques experienced hands use to fashion the cabinets
in a Carver 564 Cockpit Motoryacht are applied in the 410. All joinery
is, according to Carver, marine grade. Dowel joints are used for doorframes,
and cabinets are joined with glue and stainless steel screws in predrilled
holes. As a result of such practices, the 410's cabinetry should
more ably endure the inherent stresses of a floating environment.

Having
seen in stages so much of what goes into the 410, I felt well acquainted
with the completed boat I boarded the next day in Sturgeon Bay. I was
along for the ride with broker Jerry Ipjian for the 200-mile, due-south
delivery of the yacht to his Great Lakes Yacht Sales in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The daylong run wasn't just a perfect opportunity to examine the
410 in action, it was also welcome relief from an August heat wave plaguing
the States from the Mississippi eastward. By midday it was 96 degrees
on land with about 80 percent humidity and winds at less than 10 mph.
Aboard the 410 a dozen miles off the coast, temperatures were 10 degrees
cooler, and with the twin 375-hp Volvo Penta gasoline inboards taking
us to more than 23 mph at a 3500-rpm cruise, we had plenty of breeze.
For good measure we fired up the optional Kohler 10-kW genset and switched
on the Marine Air air conditioning so that our occasional forays from
the flying bridge to the galley were especially refreshing.

Carver
hopes the 410 will appeal to boaters who have a taste for express cruisers
but are in the market for more living space inside and out, and, as one
Carver rep put it to me, "more presence without giving up the sport
feel." Indeed, as we entered the big lake, I felt we enjoyed the
best of both worlds.

Cruelly,
I forced the air conditioning to battle engine room heat as well when
I lifted the hatch in the saloon sole just before our sea trial. While
plugging a Volvo Penta diagnostic tool into the port engine to get fuel-flow
readings, I noted plenty of width in the service alley, good lighting,
and a neat white gelcoat finish.

When
I hopped back into the saloon and dropped the 5'x2' insulated hatch back
into place, the decrease in noise was as dramatic as the fall in temperature.
While Ipjian maintained our 3500-rpm pace, I prolonged my stay in the
cool air by wandering the interior. In the saloon I lolled on the curving
Ultraleather settee facing the port-side L-shape galley. Heading forward
and up a step to the aft-facing semicircular dinette, I could easily imagine
this separate area as an extension of the saloon during social occasions.
Eventually, of course, I found myself sprawled out on the double island
berth in the forward master stateroom, which thanks to a split en suite
head and shower seemed quite spacious. Its comfort and quiet--I measured
73 dB-A with my decibel meter down here (65 dB-A is the level of normal
conversation)--made it difficult to leave.

The
same 3500 rpm during sea trials on the flying bridge yielded a sound level
of 81 dB-A, not surprising with the addition of wind and water noise.
At 23.1 mph for a range of 221 miles, this cruise was brisk, efficient,
and pleasant. As deliverymen, what more could we ask? We would reach our
destination before nightfall, without refueling, and enjoy ourselves,
to boot.

The
410 handles adroitly for a boat of her size, responding well to the Teleflex
hydraulic steering and leaning firmly into tight turns. She does lift
her nose a bit during the transition onto plane and seems to demand liberal
use of the trim tabs. This behavior is not all that significant when piloting
from the flying bridge, but I imagine it could be annoying from the more
limited perspective of the optional lower helm, which was not on our test
boat.

With
the added time required for trials, it was evening when we reached Kenosha's
peaceful waterfront. In the cooling dusk under the bimini with the boat
securely tied to the quay after our more than 10-hour trip, we were far
removed from the bustle at Carver I'd witnessed the day before.
I could appreciate all the industry that had gone into building this boat
up in Pulaski, but it was hard to believe such a place existed in Wisconsin.